Chronic kidney disease is estimated to affect about 1% of cats, or about 100 per thousand. As cats age, the likelihood of them getting kidney disease increases to an estimated 2.7% in cats older than 10 and by 4.9% in cats over 15 years of age.
The kidneys work to remove waste products from metabolism through the urine, and to control the balance of water and essential nutrients such as potassium at the correct levels in the body. As the body ages, the kidneys function less efficiently. Initially, the patient copes with this lack of efficiency of waste removal by producing a greater amount of urine, which will be more dilute. The cat is said to have “compensated kidney disease” or “compensated kidney failure”. As the chronic disease continues to progress, eventually the kidneys are no longer able to cope with the disease, and the cat develops clinical symptoms such as vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, and halitosis or bad breath.
Chronic kidney disease is an irreversible process, but researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of nutrition in relieving some of the symptoms, extending the lives of affected cats while maintaining a good quality to their lives. A recently published study that followed 45 cats with spontaneous chronic renal disease for 2 years showed that the cats fed a regular maintenance diet had a 17.4% mortality from their disease while there was no mortality in the cats fed a specially formulated renal (kidney) diet.
Renal diets are specifically formulated to relieve the burden on the kidneys. They contain a lower quantity of protein that is high quality and easily digested, thus decreasing the amount of protein byproducts that the kidneys must eliminate from the body. In addition, they have other modifications in nutrient, vitamin and mineral levels as well as certain additives that relieve specific kidney-related symptoms. These diets are not appropriate for feeding to cats without renal failure, and the diet formulation changes according to the stage of renal failure. Thus, they are only available through a veterinarian, who monitors the health of the cat and makes therapeutic adjustments as needed.
Choosing a standard, manufactured diet that is lower in protein does not meet the special requirements for a cat with kidney disease, and could worsen the problem and hasten the development of clinical symptoms. To learn more about this common cat disease and how you can help improve the wellbeing of your cat, contact our clinic for specific advice and more detailed handouts.
